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Underpinning Core Principles

At Boyne Hill Nursery, the four guiding principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework 2021, shape our practice.

These are:

• Every child is a unique child who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
• Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships.
• Children learn and develop well in enabling environments in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between practitioners and parents/carers.
• Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates.

Our Intent

It is our intent that our pupils will:

• be happy, make friends and feel valued by staff;
• be competent and confident learners who are proud of their achievements;
• be provided with a safe and stimulating learning environment in which creativity and expressiveness are valued;
• be provided with a broad and balanced curriculum so that they can develop skills, knowledge and understanding across a wide range of experiences and areas of learning;
• be treated as an individual with specific needs being met in appropriate ways;
• be provided with effective provision that will enable them to achieve their full potential;
• be excited about learning new things;
• be reflective, questioning, experimental, curious and persistent;
• learn to be effective communicators;
• be given new experiences.

We intend for each parent/carer to:

• Feel confident in the care and education we give their children.
• Feel part of the school community.
• Feel able to approach us with any queries, worries or criticisms they may have.

We intend for each member of staff to:

• Respect each child and their family.
• Implement all school policies.
• Contribute to the wellbeing and successful learning of each child.
• Maintain a safe and stimulating environment and maintain vigilance with regard to the safeguarding of all pupils.
• Continue their professional development.
• Build on the work which parents/carers do with their children outside school.
• Ensure an active partnership with parents/carers about their child’s development.

Implementing our Intent

Effective education requires a relevant curriculum and practitioners who understand and are able to implement the curriculum requirements. Effective education requires practitioners who understand that children develop rapidly during the early years - physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially. Our provision supports and extends children’s knowledge, skills, understanding and confidence and helps them to overcome any disadvantage.

All our Early Years practitioners ensure that all children feel included, secure and valued. We build positive relationships with parents/carers in order to work effectively with them and their children.

Each child's experiences during their time with us will build on what they already know and can do. We encourage a positive attitude and disposition to learning and use each challenge as a learning opportunity. Parents and practitioners work together in an atmosphere of mutual respect within which our pupils can have security and confidence. Our early years' curriculum is carefully structured and each child's experience and learning journey are considered.

We have three underpinning strands in our structure to ensure each pupil receives the very best education:

• Provision for the different starting points from which children develop their learning, building on what they can already do.
• Relevant and appropriate content that matches the different levels of young children’s needs.
• Planned and purposeful activity that provides opportunities for teaching and learning, both indoors and outdoors. There are opportunities for pupils to engage in activities planned by adults and also those that they plan or initiate themselves. Children do not make a distinction between ‘play’ and ‘learning’ and neither do practitioners.

The Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework 2021 provides a guide of age related learning expectations for children in seven areas of learning and development. At Boyne Hill Nursery School we base learning experiences on this curriculum alongside our own experience and knowledge of how children learn. We draw upon current research and early years' pedagogy. All staff are involved in the development of the curriculum, learning and teaching. We utilise our learning environments inside and outside to enable children to access the curriculum in exciting and imaginative ways. The learning environment has been described as ‘the third educator’. This is not merely the physical space but also the secure relationships, stimulating activities and high quality teaching which we continuously strive to provide.

Our provision is set up for indoor and outdoor free flow provision. This benefits children’s development in the following ways:

• Greater independence – As children are able to access the different environments freely, it helps them develop greater independence. They are able to make those independent choices as to whether they play outdoors or access the messy activities inside.
• Progress at their own pace – Children shouldn’t be rushed in their learning; it should be about giving children time to fully embrace the skills they are learning. Free flow gives children the opportunity to develop at their own pace, for example, they can decide to either spend the morning outside participating in the stimulating activities on a larger scale or sitting at the table manipulating playdough.
• Decision making – As children are able to choose where they would like to play and with what, this is developing their decision making skills. As they get older, they will begin to learn that their choices may have consequences.
• Physical wellbeing – Offering children the choice, especially the outdoors, gives them the opportunity to run around and build on their physical skills. The outdoor space is great for those children who prefer to be outside as practitioners can use their skills to mirror the indoor activities outdoors, often on a larger scale.
• Learning about the different environments – As children explore the different environments, it opens up many leaning opportunities as they discover the difference between inside and outside.